• I

CONSERVING THE BAS-RELIEFS

Th ego a I was not to try to restore the bas-reliefs to their original state but, rather, to repair major damage and arrest further deterioration. Copies of the origi­ nal bas-reliefs would be created for the exterior walls of the rebuilt palace (part of the Historic Museum of Abomey), and the preserved originals would be dis­ played inside the museum. The international team of conserva­ tors began by researching the history of bas-reliefs to better understand their origins and cultural context, turning to Beninois historians and local artists for information regarding the traditional methods used in making them. Oral his­ tory, early photographs, and the casts and notes made by the French colonial official E. G. Waterlot in 1911 helped identify each bas-relief and determine its original loca­ Conservators referred removal when the tion on Glele's ajalala facade. Next, the to historic photo­ south corner of the condition of each one was recorded, and graphs, diagrams, and building completely the findings documented in written reports, inventories to identify collapsed, and two photographs, and graphic diagrams. detached bas-reliefs , others remain unac­ determine their origi­ counted fo r. nal placement, and Photograph by The bas-reliefs chart their changes Susan Middleton, '994. removed from Glele's over time. Of the ajalala were stored original fifty-six bas­ throughout the reliefs from GIele's royal compound. ajalala, four were Photograph by Susan Middleton, 1994. destroyed during CONSERVING THE BAS-RELIEFS

From structural damage to superficial problems, from broken bases to flaking paint, the fifty bas-reliefs to be conserved presented a range of conservation chal­ lenges. Photographs of the bas-reliefs taken before 1988, while they were still an integral part of the facade of Glele's ajalala, showed them in relatively good condition. So it was clear that the heavy and fragile panels had suffered severe structural damage dur­ Conservators carefu lly ing the difficult detachment operation and documented the struc­ in subsequent moves from one storage area tural and surfa ce con­ to another in the museum. dition of each panel The support frames of some of the and its added support. bas-reliefs were fractured or, in one case, Transparent acetate completely shattered. Some reliefs had sheets were laid over become loose or separated from their sup­ black-and-white pho­ ports, while others had large cavities behind tographs of each bas­ the surface, with entire sections dangerously relief Symbols were hollow. In several cases, only the relief­ used to identi fy each and not the original support-had been typ e of damage, and salvaged during the detachment; these bas­ a key to the symbols reliefs had been installed in newly made appeared on each niche panels. transparency. The The long-term destructive effects of same method was water, to which earthen materials are espe­ used to record the cially vulnerable, were also evident. In the treatment conducted. 1930S, after the traditional wide thatch Photographs by Susan roofs were replaced with low-pitched, cor­ Middleton, 1996 and '994. rugated metal roofs, the bas-reliefs were exposed to the elements. Rainwater gradu­ ally eroded the modeled earth of the bas­ relief figures. Soluble salts may be present in the building materials, in the ground, or in the cement used in earlier repairs. When

Several bas-reliefs had suffered much damage and were fo und with broken bases and detached fragments of relief Photograph by Susan Middleton, 1995.

Above: Bas-relief it rains, these salts dissolve in water; then, detail showing multi­ when the water evaporates, the salts crys­ ple paint layers. tallize-a destructive process that damages Photograph by the paint and plaster, often leaving a white Franeesea Pique, 1996. veil covering the surface. This resulted in widespread damage; powdering patches of Right: Bas-relief earth and paint, fo r example, were evident detail showing on nearly all of the lion bas-reliefs that had the effects of salt fo rmed the bottom row of Glele's ajalala. efflorescence. Analysis revealed that throughout Photograph by their history, the bas-reliefs had been Franeesea Pique, 1997. repainted several times, with some covered by as many as six layers of paint. The older layers were made from natural organic colorants and inorganic pigments mixed with an organic binder, while the newer layers appeared to be composed of syn­ thetic paints. The fluctuating climate, along with the incompatibility of the different paint layers, resulted in serious damage: paint was flaking, powdering, or missing, and in some places where there were losses, the red earth of the support was exposed. CONSERVING THE BAS-RELIEFS

In devising and implementing a treatment plan, the team adhered to several basic conservation principles: interven­ tion should be minimal; new materials should be compatible with original materi­ als; and all treatments should be reversible. Another objective was to streamline the process so that the Beninois could easily execute future work after the GCl project was completed. The conservation training of local museum personnel was an impor­ tant aspect of the project. The bas-relief artist Cyprien Tokou­ dagba gave the team access to one of the local quarries. In the GCl laboratories in Los Angeles, earth taken from the quarry and earth from the bas-reliefs were analyzed and compared. In composition, particle­ size distribution, and color, the samples Training session in were so similar that the quarry was selected a shady part of the as the source of material for the conser­ museum courtyard. vation project. Different mortar mixtures Photograph by were tested to find the one best suited Susan Middleton, 1994. to each necessary repair. Earth stabilized with 10 percent hydraulic lime was used to fill cracks in the panels' added supports and the deep cavities behind their surfaces. For fillsin the original support, local earth

Gathering earth from a local quarry for use in conservation treatments. Photograph by Susan Middleton, 1996. CONSERVING THE BAS-RELIEFS

Sieving earth to use in treatments in the museum courtyard. Photograph by Francesco Pique, 1995.

The conservation team making mortar mixes and test blocks. Photograph by Susan Middleton, 1994. mixed with water was found to be the best match in color and compatibility. Bas-reliefs received emergency pre­ liminary stabilization before being moved to the workshop for complete treatment. In cases of serious structural damage, it was necessary to insert an internal arma­ ture into the base and build up the earth around it. Large, loose fragments were pinned from behind, anchored into the support, and reattached with an earthen mortar. Paint flakes were held in place by a facing of Japanese paper, then reattached with a solution of water and acrylic resin. Once stabilized, the panels were ready to be moved to the conservation workshop. However, weighing about 300 kilograms (over 650 pounds), a detached bas-relief panel is difficult to move and likely to crumble or crack. So the team developed a pulley system for raising and lowering the panels, as well as a large pushcart for moving them. They also adapted a small CONSERVING THE BAS-RELIEFS 85

industrial dolly and a portable wooden Bas-reliefs in storage trackway to facilitate transportation. befo re treatment. Before risking the original bas-reliefs Photograph by on this custom-made system, the conserva­ Julian Zugazagoitia. 1993· tors decided to test it on a fu ll-size model. Using their bare feet, they mixed a mortar of 90 percent earth from the nearby quarry and 10 percent cement, which they built up in a wooden form measuring approxi­ mately 1 by 1.2 meters. Like the detached bas-reliefs it simulated, the full-size mock­ up had chicken-wire reinforcement. The team sculpted a replica of King Guezo's "perforated jar of unity" bas-relief, let it set three weeks, and then used it to test trans­ portation methods. Once the transportation system proved reliable, the bas-reliefs were well wrapped and moved to the workshop. There, con­ servators and technicians fixed structural damage, addressed inappropriate earlier interventions, and stabilized the bas-reliefs against naturally caused deterioration. 86 CONSERVING THE BAS-RELIEFS

Mini-drills and micro-chisels were used to of touching up paint where the original is remove an incompatible cement mixture missing-was performed only on the back­ that had probably been applied at the time grounds, not on the painted relief figures the panels were detached. Deep cavities themselves. were filled using syringes to inject a liq- At first, all that was visible of the most uid mixture of extrafinely sieved earth, seriously damaged bas-relief was the back hydraulic lime, and acrylic adhesive, and of its shattered shell. The three-dimensional superficial losses and cracks were repaired form was in so many pieces that it was hard with mortar. In the last phase of conser­ to discern the original image. Befo re the damaged vation, the conservation team reattached To reassemble the pieces of the bas­ bas-reliefs were loose paint flakes with an earth mortar and relief, small sticks and string were used to moved, loose paint acrylic adhesive; consolidated powdering create a reference grid (similar to those flakes were secured by paint with a low-percent solution of acrylic used at archaeological sites) that was laid Japanese paper strips. resin; and, where necessary, carefully cleaned over the panel. An identical grid was repro­ Photograph by the surface with poultices of acetone in duced with chalk inside a wooden box the Francesca Pique, '994. cotton wadding. Inpainting-the process same size as the bas-relief. Using this grid The team sculpted They made a mix a replica of King of stabilized earth Guezo's jar-of-unity and built it up in a bas-relief, let it set fo r wooden fo rm, before three weeks, and then sculpting the relief used it to test the Photographs by transportation system. Susan Middleton, 1994. After the transporta­ tion system was tested with the model, the bas-reliefs were well wrapped, hoisted by pulley onto the push­ cart, and moved along the portable path to the workshop. Here, again using the pul­ ley, the team set the bas-reliefs onto a sp e­ cially constructed easel fo r treatment. Photographs top and fa r left by Francesca Pique, left and opposite by Susan Middleton, 1994.

90 CONSERVING THE BAS-RELIEFS

Fixing flaked paint with adhesive using a small syringe. Photograph by Leslie Rainer, 1995.

The conservation workshop. Photograph by Susan Middleton, 1995.

Inpainting-the process of touching Filling cracks with up paint where the earth mixture. original is missing. Photograph by Photograph by Susan Middleton, 1995. Susan Middleton, 1995. 91

system, conservators placed the frame face The most seriously up in the wooden box; then, piece by piece, damaged bas-relief they turned over the fragments and trans­ was hard to recognize. ferred them to their corresponding posi­ By consulting his­ tions in the box. Finally, the identity of torical photographs, bas-relief number 46 was revealed-a croc­ the team was able to odile with a fish in its mouth, used by King identify and position GJele to remind his subjects that "no one this bas-relief while can blame the crocodile for eating the fish." reassembling it. Only the fish was still attached to Photograph top left by the earthen support, and the ground of Francesca Pique, '994; top right by Leslie Rainer, the niche had been entirely overplastered, '994; middle by Susan probably after detachment from the palace, Middleton, 1995; bottom by Susan Middleton, 1997. with a mix of earth and cement. The added was covered with several layers of sta­ plaster had since come loose and broken bilized earth before the fragments were into pieces. Conservators reassembled these reassembled and attached to the base. pieces like a giant jigsaw puzzle to produce The surface was then cleaned, and the a silhouette outline, then assembled and flaking paint was fixed in place to the attached the fragments of the relief figure's plaster surface. The final presentation of shape within this form. the bas-relief shows it in its fragmentary Once it was stabilized in the conser­ state on the new support. vation workshop, local welders fabricated The conserved bas-reliefs were either a new internal armature. This support stored or exhibited, and a maintenance 92 CONSERVING THE BAS-RELIEFS

Bas-reliefs before and after conservation treatment, which aimed not to restore them to their original state but to repair them and preventfu r­ ther deterioration. It was also important to distinguish between original and new materials. Photographs by Susan Middleton, 1994 and 1995. CONSERVING THE BAS-RELIEFS 93

plan was prepared to ensure their long­ mance media as ritual, music, and dance. In term survival. addition, the inclusion of a training com­ For both the Gel and the Beninois, ponent in the conservation project allowed the Abomey project involved more than Beninois museum and conservation profes­ the conservation of a set of unique and sionals to acquire new skills. While some of historically important objects. The joint these staff will remain at the Abomey site to undertaking contributed to a growing local ensure ongoing preventive treatment of the consciousness regarding the value of con­ bas-reliefs, others will use their new knowl­ servation-which in Benin comprises not edge at other sites with similar conservation only material objects but also such perfor- problems throughout Benin.

The Historic Museum of Abomey

The Historic Museum of Abomey is a unique institution, not only because of its setting within the palace compound of the kings of Dahomey but also because of its extraordinary collection of Fon art. In addition to the bas-reliefs, its exhibits cover the range of artistic objects produced during the dynasty's long reign. The palaces of kings Guezo and GIc!h!, once off-limits to commoners, are now open to the public. Colorful bas-reliefs line the exterior walls of the kings' aj a/a/as, or reception halls, while various palace build­ ings house roya l costumes, thrones, weapons, sculpture, appliques, and sacred voudou and ritual objects.

Interior gallery of reconstructed aja lala of GIe/e. Photograph by Leslie Rainer, 1996. THE HISTORIC MUSEUM OF ABOMEY

The original opening of the museum in 1945 was greeted with much enthusiasm. An English ethnographer, for example, called it "the first national museum ...in West Africa housed in build­ ings stylistically suitable for the contents." Today visitors enter the museum through a small rectangular building that leads to the kpodoji, the exterior courtyard of King Glele. Here they are greeted by an explosion of brightly colored textiles. Hand-crafted appliques, tablecloths, woven textiles-along with bronzes and jewelry­ crowd artisans' tables along the southern edge of the courtyard, where museum tours Artist working on begin. Traditionally, these wares were not bronze mask. sold within the palace grounds. However, Photograph by the Fon were always known for their art, Francesca Pique, '997. and, in fact, both applique and brass and silver artists were retained by the kings to help glorify the monarchy. The popular open-air market celebrates the many varied art fo rms being fashioned in Benin today. On the northern edge of the court­ yard, Glele's jononho-the reception hall where, more than one hundred years ago, he received foreign visitors-houses an exhibit covering the history of Dahomey. Maps show the migration of the early THE HISTORIC MUSEUM OF ABOMEY 97

Reconstructed palace of Gleie. Visitors can compare the replica bas-reliefs seen here with the conserved originals on display inside. Photograph by Susan Middleton, 1996. THE HISTORIC MUSEUM OF ABOMEY

Plan of the Historic Museum of Abomey

• Ajalalahennu of Guezo

Kpodoji of Guezo

... Entrance

Kpodoji of Gh!h! THE HISTORIC MUSEUM OF ABOMEY 99

Dahomeans and the subsequent expansion of the kingdom. Glele's logodo, where the king once met with his council, connects the outer and inner palace courtyards. It houses models of the royal palace compound. Straight ahead, through the interior court­ yard, lies the adanjeho, with an exhibit of military objects and regalia-makpos, ceremonial swords, other weapons, and costumes. To the right is Glele's ajalala, where costumes, appliques, and royal parasols, as well as gifts offered to the kings by visi­ tors from other countries, are on display. The facade is adorned by fifty-six new bas-reliefs, carefully wrought replicas of those that decorated the original structure. Those on the top row show the king's arsenal: recades (messenger sticks), makpos, hatchets, swords, goubassa (the ritual sword of Gu, god of war), and rifles. The middle

Museum exhibits include royal jewelry, above, and ceremonial recades, left. Photographs by Francesca Pique, 1997. Appliques at artists' row depicts battles, scenes of enemies being market. tortured, and royal allegories. Along the Photograph by bottom row are bas-reliefs depicting Glele's Susan Middleton, '997. symbol of strength, the lion. Some of the conserved original bas­ reliefs from Glele's ajalala are exhibited in the former quarters of the French colonial administrator, where they are protected from the elements. The exhibit also pre­ sents information about preservation efforts from the early 1900S onward, describes the bas-reliefs' removal from the palace walls, explains the iconography of their scenes and symbols, and documents their recent con­ servation. Bas-reliefs not on display are kept in long-term storage; they constitute an important archive of information about the Dahomey kingdom. Visitors to the museum can view other palace buildings from the times of Guezo and Glele-buildings to which not only commoners but also important THE HISTORIC MUSEUM OF ABOMEY 101

Funerary symbol and sculpture on dis­ play in museum. Photographs by Francesca Pique, 1997.

Museum visitors view exhibit of conserved bas-reliefs. Photograph by Susan Middleton, '997. Vo ting in presidential visitors, as well as the most noble-born election outside Dahomeans, never would have gained the palace of Glele. admittance: the small boho-or power Photograph by house-of King Guezo; the djeho (spirit Leslie Rainer, 1996. house) where his soul is said to rest; the sacred tomb of King Glele; and the collec­ tive tomb (ahosi hue, or house of the king's wives), where the fo rty-one wives who fol­ lowed Glele to the afterlife are buried. The palaces are also the site of ongo­ ing ceremonies-civil, religious, and royal-many of which are presided over by the Fon people's current royal guardian, King Agoli-Agbo III of Abomey, who lives outside the royal compound. Several of the kings' wives-royal descendants who reside on-site-make offerings every four days to the souls of Dahomey's ancestral rulers, thereby keeping alive the tradition of connecting to those who have traveled to the next world. THE HISTORIC MUSEUM OF ABOMEY 103

"Our colleagues tell us that this is not Royal dancers per­ a museum," says Rachida de Souza-Ayari, fo rming at ceremony former director of Benin's Department of in palace compound. Cultural Heritage, "since the objects, though Photograph by they are museum pieces in the sense that Susan Middleton, 1997. they are inventoried, continue to be used .... We believe that this site lives through the existence of its material culture-its build­ ings, its objects, its bas-reliefs-and its non­ material culture, which is its most important dimension." At the museum, history, cul­ ture, art, ritual, and commerce intersect in a space that is both sacred and secular, at a time when centuries-old art fo rms are being both preserved and reinvented.

A Living Tradition

From its his torical origins as re li­ gious art, and then as the official art of the Dahomean royal monar­ chy, the bas-relief has in recent years blossomed in to a popular and versatile artistic vernacular. In contemporary Benin, bas-relief art complements other traditional practices. In addition to the works in the Abomey palace compound, newly fa shioned examples of the form-both secular and reli­ gious-can be found throughout the country. As practiced by various Beninois artists, the art encompasses a wide range of subject matter-from traditional royal symbols to co mmercial iconography, from religious and folk imagery to the epic themes of African history.

Contemporary artist Cyp rien To koudagba, assisted by his son, making bas-relief on Abomey market wall. Photograph by Susan Middleton, 1996.

A LIVING TRADITION 107

I n Ben i n today, there are a number Current artists of artists working in the bas-relief form and execute traditional related sculptural media. To a large extent, themes in a contem­ their craft is based in traditional techniques, porary fa shion, such which have been enhanced by recent dis­ as in this bas-relief coveries of new materials. For example, by To koudagba the replica bas-reliefs on the reconstructed and his fa mily on palace buildings of Guezo and Glele in the wall surrounding Historic Museum of Abomey include a Abomey market. small amount of cement-rather than the Photograph by traditional palm fibers-to stabilize and Susan Middleton, 1997. enhance the material's ability to withstand climatic conditions. And other bas-reliefs Opposite: Johnny are often made wholly of cement rather Wa lker bas-relief than of the traditional earth. Also, rather at CoEco Bar, by than preparing their own dyes from natural contemporary artist pigments, today's artists generally use com­ Yv es Fede. mercially available synthetic paint. Photograph by Susan Middleton, '997. These artists pass their knowledge along to new generations of apprentices­ often from the same family-who today, as in centuries past, fo rm a sort of guild. In keeping with this practice, one of the 108 A LIVING TRADITION

Cyprien To koudagba Sculpture by Cyp rien with several of his To koudagba in sculptures, which the Sacred Forest, depict various deities known as the home and other fo lk figures. of voudou spirits, near His art has been Ouidah. exhibited at the Photograph by Pompidou Center Susan Middleton, 1994. best-known artists in Abomey, Cyprien in Paris. Tokoudagba, is joined in his work by vari­ Photograph by ous family members. In a break from Susan Middleton, 1996. traditional guild practice, in which only men worked on bas-reliefs, Tokoudagba's wife and daughter also participate in such endeavors as the creation of the replica bas-reliefs now displayed in the Historic Museum of Abomey. Tokoudagba's art draws from the cultural and historical imagination of the Fon people. His bas-relief depictions of the traditional iconography of the Dahomean monarchy also decorate vari­ ous public places in Abomey, attesting to the enduring power these images exercise in the popular imagination. Other cre­ ations range from whimsical polychrome statuettes and small bas-relief plaques to reinforced concrete statues and wall paint­ ings that decorate a number of temples throughout the city. A LIVING TRADITION 109

The arrangement of bas-reliefs on the Toffo monastery near Abomey is reminiscent of the royal palaces. Photograph by Susan Middleton, 1998.

The monastery bas­ reliefs depict biblical scenes, such as Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Photograph by Susan Middleton, 1998.

One of the best-known works of the sculptor and architect Ayi, another contem­ porary master, is the chapel of the Toffo monastery, near Abomey. Here, bas-reliefs adorn columns lining an inner court, form­ ing an integral architectural element in much the same way they did in the palaces of the Dahomean kings. The chapel bas­ reliefs depict scenes from the Bible: one shows the Creation of the world, for exam­ ple, while another represents the myth of the Garden of Eden with a black Adam and Eve. Yves Pede expresses both traditional and contemporary themes on appliques and bas-reliefs. He is the first artist to cre­ ate popular depictions of voudou priests and dancers-images that had previously been restricted to royal palaces and religious temples. Pede's bas-reliefs depicting the sym­ bols of Dahomey's traditional kings are on the walls of hotels and restaurants through­ out the country. Contemporary symbols- A LIVING TRADITION

Fon incorporated gods against evil forces and of conquered tribes into play a role in every their own pantheon, cre­ conceivable aspect of ating an ever-evolving daily life. In the modern animist religion. In the world, for example, Gu, New Wo rld, this belief the ancient god of iron, system evolved into exercises dominion over voodoo, as transplanted automobiles. However, We st African slaves incor­ observes Blier, "the Gu porated elements of dwelling in your car Christianity and Euro­ would be different from pean folklore into their the one dwelling in mine." . native beliefs . Vo udou worship \ The practice of typically takes place in a voudou is based on a fe tish temple. Ritualized belief in the existence worship of the spirits Bas-relief of Hevioso, Vo udou of hundreds of spirits, or fe tishes often involves voudou god of thun­ each with unique super­ blood, animal sacrifice, der, on the palace of While about one-third of natural powers. Such dance, and-perhaps Guezo. One of the the people in Benin are deities as sky gods, thun­ most dramatically­ Christian or Muslim, the der gods, earth gods, fa te trances in which a god is powers of the thunder majority believe in ani­ gods, and ancestor gods said to take possession of gods is to strike dead mism-the doctrine that dwell everywhere, con­ a devotee's body. by lightning those spirits exist separately necting the earthly realm from physical bodies. to the spirit world. "You who work the fields Whatever their religion, couldn't begin to count on the day commemo­ however, they commonly the voudou gods," cau­ rating a great battle. practice voudou. Rooted tions Suzanne Preston in ancient beliefs, voudou Blier, professor of African Photograph by was born among the Fon, art history at Harvard Susan Middleton, 1994. Ewe, and Yoruba peoples University. "There may of the Guinea Coast. The be two thousand, there may be two hundred thousand." They protect

Te mple at Tinji, outside Abomey. Photograph by Susan Middleton, 1997.

Vo udou ceremony in private house. Photograph by Francesca Pique, '997. A LIVING TRADITION 111

Hut in honor of voudou spirits, with wall paintings. Photograph from report by Rene Le Herisse, 1911.

Vo udou priest and priestesses at Te mple of Sakbata, near Abomey. Photograph by Francesca Pique, 1997. 112 A LIVING TRADITION

such as the locally celebrated white horse at a popular Abomey bar and the abstracted relief figuresat an Abomey hotel-also demonstrate the medium's versatility. Bas-relief art can be fo und elsewhere throughout the country as well. Its scope is particularly evident in the Gate of No Return, a national monument at the end of the Slave Road in Ouidah, the seaside town conquered by the Dahomean monarch Agaja in the early eighteenth century­ and which, until the late nineteenth century, served as a center of the West African slave trade. The monument, a collaborative work by artists from both Benin and neighboring countries, features an immense arch with bas-relief decoration, as well as various free­ standing sculptures. The monument's design and histori­ cal subject matter embody the tradition of visual storytelling central to the bas­ relief form since the first works were com­ missioned by Dahomean kings in the eighteenth century. Here, however, history is told not on palace walls but against an immense natural backdrop of earth, sea, and sky; and the purpose is not to glorify White horse bas-relief Modern bas-relief the exploits of the Dahomean monarchy by Yv es pede at the at the CoEco Bar. but to acknowledge the countless thousands Fifth Dimension bar Photograph by of Africans deported in slave ships to in Abomey. Susan Middleton, '997. the New Wo rld-including those sold to Photograph by European slave traders by the Dahomean Susan Middleton, '997. kings themselves. The monument was commissioned by Unesco and the govern­ The artist Yv es pede ment of Benin to commemorate the his­ in the courtyard torical truths of the slave trade; it is one of Hotel Guedevy. of the country's most visited sites. Photograph by Susan Middleton, '997. The saga of the Abomey bas-reliefs Gate of No Return, suggests how conserving the art of the past Ouidah. In addition to can illuminate the art of the present by honoring the memory affording a deepened understanding of of the Africans shipped the history and traditions that nourish it. into slavery, the mon­ In Benin today, the practice of bas-relief art ument is dedicated serves as an homage to the Dahomean to their descendants dynasty of centuries past as well as a way living throughout the of perpetuating and celebrating Fon culture world today. in spite of the vicissitudes of history. One Photograph by hundred years after the end of the kingdom Leslie Rainer, 1997. of Dahomey, the art of the Dahomean kings has become the art of the Beninois people.